Official Warriors Off Season Thread

[patrickcakes]

Originally Posted by NothingToL0se

just got back from the roulette table...played nothing but warriors number haha. Barnes and Wright was nice

any numbers i should play? 27 is a MOST for me every hand. I'll be going back to the table in a bit, theres just nothing to do here in the room besides watch espn.

Vegas?

 

[patrickcakes]

With all the college talk, I'll just chime in. I just graduated from Cal Poly Pomona after five years. Not a bad spot at all. I had a great time there, butdefinitely glad to be back in The Bay. They have one of the best engineering programs in the nation (I was a business major) and the campus is undergoing amajor upgrade. Good for those Nor Cal kids like me who want to experience So Cal, but can't get into UCI, UCLA, or SD schools.

Only 25 minutes out ofLA and Irvine and 1.5 hours from SD.

 

[mississippi bullet]

Originally Posted by acidicality

to add to that i like how the neighborhood basically is the campus. here at ucsd if you don't have a car or know people that do, your social life is **+*%%, because there's barely anything to ever do on campus, and the campus is hella isolated from everything else, and the city of La Jolla is full of snobby rich people. plus, having nice sports teams is a huge plus for Cal.

although i do hear of people getting mugged and robbed at Cal all the time..

my friend was downstairs in his apartment at Cal one summer. he heard a loud shatter from upstairs, and his laptop was gone. he saw the dude running awaywith his laptop. then my friend just went out and ran after him. no luck...

 

[gas break dip]

Originally Posted by TalibanTaji

Originally Posted by GAS BREAK DIP

But anybody guarding Monta is worser idea.

is worser even a word?

Yes it is you square.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/worser

 

[nothingtol0se]

Vegas?


nah..actually im in atlantic city right now. they charge 12bucks for 24hours on the net. east coast ftl haha

but im about to return to the tables.

 

[offbad]

Originally Posted by acidicality

Originally Posted by Mississippi Bullet

Originally Posted by Beats05

not sure how people started talking about colleges in here, but Cal is wack. i've been here since 05, so i'm entering my fourth year this fall. don't believe the hype. this place is so ugly, dangerous, and expensive its disgusting. don't come here. i can't wait to leave. robberies, rapes, and murders happen around campus on the regular. this has to be the ugliest place in california. they care zero about maintenance and cleanliness here--i'm talking streets, buildings, etc. and cost of living is beyond unreasonable. im paying a stupid amount for my trashy 100 yr old apartment in a crime-filled area while friends at uc davis are paying 1/3 of what i'm paying for gorgeous, safe, suburb looking 2 story houses. and girls...none. do yourself a favor: go to uc davis or ucla. undergrad degrees don't mean anything these days anyway and more or less you'll learn the same things with identical majors across schools.

yea, the neighborhood is kinda wack, but the on campus atmosphere is nice. at davis you get fined if your grass lawn isnt well-kept.

to add to that i like how the neighborhood basically is the campus. here at ucsd if you don't have a car or know people that do, your social life is **+*%%, because there's barely anything to ever do on campus, and the campus is hella isolated from everything else, and the city of La Jolla is full of snobby rich people. plus, having nice sports teams is a huge plus for Cal.

although i do hear of people getting mugged and robbed at Cal all the time..

truth! i hated how i didn't have a car my first year at UCI. Cal is just so fun though. i love the urban-ness and the city life. it is exactly what iimagined college to be. here in irvine everything is so sterile and safe it makes me throw up. stuff's expensive here too though.. 1650 a month for a 2bedroom apt relatively close to campus.. and that's not including internet, tv, utilites, etc. plus its the biggest commuter city in the nation-- meaningeveryone leaves at the end of the day so there's really nothing to do around here

 

[dr 715]

Does anyone know when Brand is supposed to announce his decision?

I like how this has become the Rant About Your School Thread ... I'll make it quick - only go to Samuel Merritt if you're ready to learn everythingyourself.

 

[paul is on tilt]

I think Brand makes his decision by July 9... the same date when they officially ink Baron Davis to a contract... But again, I'm just speculating.

 

[offbad]

Originally Posted by Paul Is On Tilt

I think Brand makes his decision by July 9... the same date when they officially ink Baron Davis to a contract... But again, I'm just speculating.

are we even hosting anyone? like is mullin even trying. i hear reportsthat philly is hosting chill and smoov, but it seems like we havent done jack.

 

[acidicality]

i'm guessing mullin is waiting on brand's decision before going after Smith/Iguodala/childress whoever else is on the market...

 

[offbad]

eff that. he just keeps throwing crazy money at players who are more than likely not to leave their teams... nothing productive at all.

if we could get any of those three, we could move jack up to 2, patching some defensive worries in our backcourt.

 

[daprescription]

Originally Posted by offbad

Originally Posted by Paul Is On Tilt

I think Brand makes his decision by July 9... the same date when they officially ink Baron Davis to a contract... But again, I'm just speculating.

are we even hosting anyone? like is mullin even trying. i hear reports that philly is hosting chill and smoov, but it seems like we havent done jack.

Mullin is trying to the best of his abilities. I mean, we are talking about the guy that gave ADONAL FOYLE $7 Million a season.

 

[mateen cleaves]

Is Barnes coming back?

 

[acidicality]

Originally Posted by Mateen Cleaves

Is Barnes coming back?

i don't think so. i remember nellie mentioning that somewhere.

 

[daprescription]

[h2]Well, well, well[/h2]
By Geoff Lepper
Tuesday, July 1st, 2008 at 8:34 am in Austin Croshere, Baron Davis, Chris Mullin, Don Nelson, Matt Barnes, Mickael Pietrus, Monta Ellis, Roster moves.

Where to begin? Of all the things I thought might happen to the Warriors this summer - and that's a mighty lengthy list - Baron Davis passing on $17.8 million is not one of them. Of course, that's because Baron was telling everyone who would listen it wouldn't happen.

First off, let's cover some turf that was discussed in the story you'll never read - the one I sent into the office around 6 p.m. or so last night, or just in time for me to call back within the hour and say, "Tear that sucker up."

Obviously, this was before BD dropped his bombshell, so I'm not sure this stuff still has relevance in the new Warriors world, but . . .

Don Nelson had this to say at Monday's press conference for rookie picks Anthony Randolph and Richard Hendrix: "Matt Barnes and Cro, those guys will not be back, so there's going to be some minutes there (at the forward spots). The team is going to take on a different shape, a different look. So there will be more opportunities for our youth."

Chris Mullin didn't necessarily agree, but did say it wasn't realistic to think the Warriors could bring back both Barnes and Mickael Pietrus. And he said Patrick O'Bryant is as good as gone.

For his part, Barnes said, via text message: "(Nelson) is the boss. I would love to be a Warrior. I owe so much to Nellie and to the organization. But with the tough season I had last year, it doesn't look like I'm wanted. . . . This is a cold game and a tough business."

As for the point guard . . .

Here's a Nelson quote that I couldn't get into the paper due to language restrictions: "Opting out of a $17 million contract, that's ballsy. Nobody can say Baron doesn't have balls."

Although I'm sure that a certain radio host who's not a media member will disagree with me, the Warriors most definitely have been lowballing Baron. Consider this: When Chauncey Billups was 15 months older than BD is now, he got four guaranteed years worth approximately $11.5 million per season. When Steve Nash was 18 months older than BD is now, he got five guaranteed years worth $13 million per. BD was being asked to take significantly less security than that.

Thing is, nobody should be shocked by this turn of events. Lowballing has been the Warriors' default negotiating position for a few years now; it's how they chiseled Barnes down to a lone season at $3 million after his breakout year in 2006-07, and how they forced Pietrus to eat the one-year qualifying offer last season. It's why the books look better and has worked for the team.

In this instance, however, it appears to have backfired. The Warriors have had plenty of opportunities to discuss an extension, but by sticking with their usual modus operandi, when Elton Brand opted out with the caveat that he's returning to the Clippers, the opportunity was there for Davis to go home. And he's jumping at it. According to multiple sources and several different reports, he will try to head to L.A. as a free agent as soon as possible, with Brand taking a less-than-max deal to make it happen.

"We're grown-ups, and we understood that it was a possibility," Nelson said. "We didn't think it would happen, but it did and we'll deal with it."

According to the Washington Post, the Warriors' first thought in dealing with it was to make a run at Gilbert Arenas, which would be great except - as always when it comes to Agent Zero and this franchise - the salary-cap cards are stacked against the W's. The Wizards can and are willing, according to the Post, to pay Arenas for one more year than the Warriors can (six versus five), and can give 10.5 percent yearly raises instead of the 8 percent that Golden State can give. The total amounts will depend on the salary cap numbers, since the maximum allowable starting salary is a percentage of the cap.

If Arenas is not an option, where do they go next? Atlanta forward Josh Smith, an RFA, would fill the Warriors' hole at power forward, but the contract would have to be large enough to make the Hawks give up on matching the deal. And that presumes Monta Ellis is ready to run the team on his own.

- Geoff

I really feel bad for Barnes. He had his break out year and then to have his mother pass and a horrible season. He was always out there beforegames working on his jumper, trying to regain that touch he had last season, but it never showed up. It might have helped that Nelson didn't play him asmuch, but damn.

 

[offbad]

well i mean he wasn't played much because he was ineffective... double edged sword there.

 

[patrickcakes]

Originally Posted by daprescription

I really feel bad for Barnes. He had his break out year and then to have his mother pass and a horrible season. He was always out there before games working on his jumper, trying to regain that touch he had last season, but it never showed up. It might have helped that Nelson didn't play him as much, but damn.

Co-sign. I hope Barnes finds another team to stick with.

 

[sf savage]

The Warriors' 3-tiered pursuit of Elton Brand: He's very good, it hurts the Clippers and it hurts Baron

Posted by Tim Kawakami on July 3rd, 2008 at 5:05 pm | Categorized as NBA, Warriors

* NOTE TO BLOG READERS: This is an overview that may seem slow and stodgy for this site. I wrote it to put some perspective on these rushing events, since Idon't think I've done a great job of that, plus as possible column for tomorrow's paper.



Kevin Garnett was an obsession, and he deserved to be.

For at least two years, all the way up to the point Garnett was traded to the Celtics last summer, Garnett was on Chris Mullin's mind every time theWarriors chief made a trade, drafted a player, sketched out a contract, mulled a coaching change or ate breakfast, worked out, drove to work, breathed…

I repeat: Garnett was Mullin's obsession, and proved himself worthy by leading the title parade in Boston last month.

Losing out on KG changed everything for the Warriors. Did you notice that the Warriors suddenly veered into Hardball Negotiation (with Mickael Pietrus, MattBarnes and more recently, Baron Davis) very soon after they lost out in the Garnett Chase about 11 months ago?

I say all this as background for the Warriors' current, extravagant chase for Elton Brand, which is just as volatile, could fill just as important a hole,but, I must point out, isn't as passionate and long-lasting a personal endeavor as the previous obsession.

Getting Garnett was about trying to add the final great piece. It was the Holy Grail. Chasing Brand is… not that. It's about holding ground, staying aliveand dangerous in the poker game, maintaining credibility, and firing a strategic counter-strike at both the Clippers and Baron Davis.

Getting Garnett was the be-all, end-all. When they lost out, they gained nothing. Chasing Brand with a five-year, $90-million-plus free agent deal (about $20Mmore than the Clippers can or will offer) has several levels of benefits for the Warriors, whether he actually signs here or not.

-They could win the negotiation and land Brand, who, if healthy, is one of the few power big men who can flourish in Don Nelson's fast style.

-They could force the Clippers to shed more salary than planned in order to fit Davis' five-year, $65M salary in with Brand's expected Clipperdeal-that could mean cleaning out the rights to marginal but useful players like Quinton Ross and Marcus Williams.

-They could force the Clippers to ask Davis to accept less than the agreed total, in order to free up cap space to give Brand a better total.

I think the Warriors would be especially delighted to shave down Baron's deal or just to hear about Baron's reaction if the Clippers requested it.

-They could force the Clippers to ask the Warriors to sign-and-trade Davis. Simple explanation: If Brand's salary is so high that the Clippers cannot fitDavis in as an outright free agent, they'd need the Warriors' cooperation to add Davis.

The Clippers don't have much to offer, but they do have second-year small forward Al Thornton, who is a very valuable commodity and could be combined witha lesser player with a larger contract to balance out a Davis-to-the-Clippers sign and trade.

-They're already communicating aggression and financial latitutde to their current young players, including restricted free agents Monta Ellis and AndrisBiedrins, who probably are fretting about the future of the franchise post-Davis.

-They could attract interest from other top-line free agents who have to be impressed that the Warriors are ready to use their prodigious cap space only hoursafter Davis' departure created the space.

I'm talking about Atlanta center Josh Smith, Charlotte power forward Emeka Okafor, Philadelphia small forward Andre Igoudala-all restricted free agents-anda few others.

None of those players are as perfect for the Warriors as Brand. (It's intriguing to imagine the skinny, super-athletic, erratic shooting Smith alongsideBrandan Wright, Biedrins or Anthony Randolph, but I think Don Nelson might faint if he could only diagram plays that didn't involve three-pointers.)

All of those players are tricky to acquire because of their restricted status-their current teams can match any offer and keep the players.

But keep those names handy, because I still think getting Brand remains at best a 3-to-1 shot even as Brand mulls it over with his agent, David Falk, this longweekend.

You have to realize that the Warriors didn't get Garnett, even after he sent signal after signal that he was interested in becoming a Warrior, even afterthe Timberwolves indicated to KG that they liked the Warriors' offer on draft night.

Garnett, in the end, liked the Celtics' roster and path to the finals better than he liked the Warriors' roster (they would've had to trade a tonto get KG) and rocky Western Conference road through the playoffs.

You have to realize that Brand has never once publicly or privately hinted that he might want to come to the East Bay, and that was back when Davis was stillhere. You have to realize that Brand has always told associates that he wanted to be in L.A., make movies, and win as a Clipper (though I'm sure being aLaker wouldn't kill him).

With Davis lined up as a Clipper since last Tuesday, it's hard to see Brand dying to become a Warrior, and nope, I doubt he has dreamed for years ofplaying alongside Randolph, Marco Belinelli and Free Agent to be Named Later.

But again, landing Brand is a bonus for this stunning Warriors' $90M gambit. Losing Davis was a gut shot and a moment of truth.

I'm positive the Warriors were taken surprise by Davis' blindside move. But going after Brand in a blink-and refusing to negotiate at all with Baronafter he opted-out-tells you that the Warriors were not on the floor for long.

They haven't replaced Davis. They might never replace Davis. They might never get over the anger and surprise of losing Davis. Going after Brand is areaction, not actually a long-term plan or obsession.

It's something, though, many-layered and setting up months and years of continued Warriors drama.

 

[franchise 55]

What do you think it would take to get Josh Smith? How much would be too much for the Hawks to match?

 

[acidicality]

Atlanta center Josh Smith

 

[daprescription]

I would offer him around 11 million a season/

 

[dont be a menace]

how much do you guys think Monta and Andris are getting?

 

[dr 715]

$11 million per is what Smith is worth but that won't be enough to get him. Philly will easily offer that themselves and I think the Hawks will match. TheWarriors need to be around the $14 million per mark ...

And I know the deadline is July 9th, but guys like Beno, Jamison, and Gilbert are announcing their intentions early - I'm wondering if Brand will show hishand before the deadline.

 

[acidicality]

We definitely have to overpay if we want to get Josh Smith...it's gotta be something large enough so that the hawks won't want to match it.

 

[dr 715]

Originally Posted by dont be a menace

how much do you guys think Monta and Andris are getting?

[h3]Ellis Wants $10M Per Year[/h3]
Monta Ellis | Warriors
The Warriors began negotiating with representatives for Monta Ellis, with talks scheduled to continue in Oakland today.
Ellis is believed to be seeking a long-term deal averaging well over $10 million a season, and could have the leverage he needs if Elton Brand joins Baron Davis in spurning the Warriors.

If Ellis thinks that Golden State is low-balling him or being uncooperative in a sign-and-trade, Ellis could choose to come back on his one-year tender worth $1 million. That would make him an unrestricted free agent next summer, when the Warriors risk losing him for nothing. -- San Francisco Chronicle

Give this man his +!*%!$# money.